114 peesident's addeess, 



temperature observations at every 250 fathoms point from the 

 bottom to the surface. 



"These enormously deep dredgings could not be continued. 

 Each operation required too much time, and the strain was too 

 great, both upon the tackle and upon the nervous systems of all 

 concerned, especially of Captain Calver and his officers, who cer- 

 tainly did all that could be compassed by human care, skill, and 

 enthusiasm to insure success. We crept home dredging in easier 

 depths. 



''"We start again to-morrow, and, as you may suppose, I have 

 enough to do. I can therefore only give you the slightest pos- 

 sible sketch of our results, anticipating fuller information when 

 I have time to collate the diaries and to look over the species. 



"Pirst. — As to Temperature. The super-heating of the sun 

 extends only to the depth of about twenty fathoms. Another 

 cause of super-heating — probably the Gulf Stream extends to the 

 depth of 500 to 700 fathoms, after that the temperature gradu- 

 ally sinks at the rate of about 0'2° for every 200 fathoms. This 

 is probably the normal rate of decrease, any deviation being pro- 

 duced by some special cause — a warm or a cold current. 



''Secondly. — The Aeration of the Water. Mr. Hunter, who 

 accompanied me as Physicist, found the water from great depths 

 to contain a large excess of carbonic acid, and he found the water 

 at all depths to contain a considerable portion of dissolved organic 

 matter, thus in every way bearing out the observations of Mr. 

 W. L. Carpenter during the first cruise. 



Thirdly. — distribution of Life. Life extends to the greatest 

 depths, and is represented by all the marine Invertebrate groups. 

 At 2,435 fathoms a handsome Dentalium and several other Mol- 

 lusca, one or two Crustacea, several Annelids and Gephyrea, a 

 very remarkable Crinoid with a stem four inches long I am not 

 prepared yet to say whether a mature form or a Pentacrinoid, 

 several Star Fishes, two Hydroid Zoophytes, and many Porami- 

 nifera were obtained. 



" Still the Paima has a divarfed and Arctic look. This is 

 doubtless from the cold. At 800 to 900 fathoms, temperature 

 40° Pah, and upwards, the Pauna is rich, and is specially 



